Adjustable choke nipple



Jan. 31, 1933.

J. F. M KAIG ADJUSTABLE CHOKE NIPPLE Filed Dec. 26. 1931 INVENTORPatented Jan. 31, 1933 JESSE F. MCKAIG, OF OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMAAmus'rABLn CHOKE NIPPLE Application filed December 26, 1931. Serial No.583,267.

My invention relates to improvements in adjustable choke nippleespecially adapted for use with high pressure oil and gas wells. Theprincipal objects of my invention are to provide a device of thischaracter which is positive in action, simple and inexpensive inconstruction; new, novel and easily operated; which is strong, durable,reliable and of evident utility; which cannot easily get out of orderand is efiicient for the vpurposes for which it is intended; to providea choke nipple adapted to be inserted in the plug gauge hole in themaster gate valve of an oil well and constitute a flow nipple for thedaily allowable potential of a well under proration; to provide a devicewhich will completely close or allow complete opening for the allowableflow of the well without changing any of the connections; to provide 0 adevice which will conserve the gas by keep- 7 ing the well flowingsteadily without any extra volume of gas forming against the master gatevalve; to provide a device which will permit the taking of the wellspotential by 5 opening the master gate valve only, without any change orthe use of any other connections or extra labor to provide a devicewhich will give added safety against sand cutting Y in high pressurewells when flowing the allowable daily potential by virtue of the factthat the oil flow is taken indirectly from the side and below the gateof one of the master gates, thus confining thev high pressure below thetop of the master gate while having two of said gates closed when fourmaster gates are used; to provide a flow nipple for taking the dailyallowable potential through the plug gauge hole in the master gate asstated, and regulating the said flow by 2Ld111$tm611t of 4 means insidethe choke nipple by controlling means from the outside without anychange of connection, thus flowing the daily allowable potential in asmall, steadystream for twenty-four hours per day instead of taking thesaid allowable potential by opening the master gate and flowing the wellunrestrained in three or four hours; to provide an adjustable chokenipple in which the pressure from the flow of the well will strike thecontrol from the side instead of from the end and.

after more fully described, illustrated in the .tional view of the Tconnection and plug.

opening of limited size. This device is now thus take the pressureindirectly out of the line of fiow;lto provide a device which will actas a safety blow- 01f for high pressure oil and gas wells and restrictthe flow to a small steady stream, thereby producing a higher gravityoil. 1

1 With these and other objects in view myinvention consists of theconstruction, novel features and combination of parts herein- 0accompanying one-sheet drawing and pointed out in the claims heretoappended. Various changes in the form, proportion, size, shape,weightvand minor details of construction, within the scope of myinvention may be v resortedto without departingfrom the spirit or broadprinciple of my inventionor yielding any of itsbenefits.

In the accompanyingdrawing, Figure 1 is a side elevation of the device,Fig. 2'is an '7 elevational view showing the deviceinstalled in a mastergate'valve, Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation and Fig. 4 is a fragmentarysec-' In the following description like reference numbers designate likeparts in all the figures, and it is to be understood that the drawing vis to be interpreted as being illustrative and not restrictive. i

The oil and gas producing States are seeking to conserve the oil and gasand prevent waste. One of the recommendments now proposed is to requireall producing wells to produce through achoke having an area of usuallyin the form ofa flow bean havinga valve adjustment the maximumopening'being about threeinches in diameter. In installing this deviceit is placed on the casing above the master gates in the main lineconnection to the separator and thisusually requires disconnecting andremoving the sand trap which involves considerable time'a-nd la bor,The'flow through this device is taken directly from the casing underf-ull pressure from the well-and is choked down by'means of the valve.The sand cutting soonchanges the orifice size and no positive controlispossible. When it is necessary to take a new open flow potential, ofthe well to figure the prorated allowable flow, the flow bean must beremoved, the sand trap replaced before the master gates can safely beopened and this requires time, trouble and labor.

With my improved adjustable choke nipple, all that is necessary toinstall the same is to remove the drain plug or gauge hole plug in theside of the master gate and replace the same with my choke nipple- Thisrequires only a few minutes of time and very little laher. The device isconnected to a small separate pipe running to the separator, and this;pipe and nipple connection are left undis turbed when the master'gatesare opened for taking the potential and the production flows throughothesand trap and into the separator.

One embodiment of my invention, is shown as follows :Nipple lhavinglongitudinal bore 2'is provided with threads 3 for screwing into drainplug hole 3-0; in master gate valve 1 as seen in Fig. 2. Threads 6 onnipple 1 connectwith pipe T23. Control stem 7is seated in packing bodyhousing 8 and is provided with hand operating wheel 9. Nipple 1 isenlarged at '10 to allow for an ample threadj ed socket 11 for seatingthe threadedend 12 of housing 8. Fine interior threads 13 inmember8co-actwith the fine exterior threads 'l l'near the lower endofstem 7 to hold said stem in any desired position. Packing gland nut 15is threaded at 16 to the upper end of packing body housing 8. Packinggland '17 under pressure of nut 15 holds the packing 18 securely aroundthe stem 7. A shoulder 19 within gland 17 is formed by an enlargement ofthe stem 7. The stem 7 terminates in a rounded lower end 20 which seats,when in closed position, in the seat 21 formedbelow the bore 2 ofnipple 1. The smooth cylindrical end 22 of stem 7 is of larger diameterthan bore 2 of nipple 1 and seat 21 is of sufficient depth so that thesaid bore 2 is completely closed when stem 7 is fully seated. Theposition of shoulder 19 on stem 7 is such thatthe 'said shoulder forms astop against gland nut 15 when the end 22 of said stem 7 is unscrewedout of seat 21 and bore '2. Threads 6serve for connecting nipple 1 topipe -T 23. Sand impinging plug 24 is screwed into T 23, as best seen inFig; 4, so as to receive any sand cutting action from the flow of oiland gas passing through bore 20f nipple -1. Flow pipe 25 leading to theseparator is screwed into the side opening of T 23. Pressure gauge '26is connected by pipe 27 to the master gas valve 5. Nipple'l is connectedto the valve 4 under 7 gas 28 and gauge 26 in like manner is connectedun'der gate29 of valve 5.

- Deep wells producing from 6500 feet de-' velop rock pressure up to2200 pounds per square inch. 7

usually installed to guard against any pos- Four master, gate valves aresibility of the well getting'out of control. o The up er two ofthesevalves, 4'and 5 are shown in ig. 2. My nipple 1 may be seated in valvePatent is:

5, replacing gauge in which event both valves 4 and 5 may be closedwhile the allowable-potential of the well may flow through my chokenipple. In the interests of conservation, engineers, and geologistsrecommend, where proration is practiced, that all large wells shall,except when taking potentials, produce through a choke of limited size.The proration laws limit the flow of even large producersto a few.hundred barrels of oil per choke nipple on a well for some time. NVith abore 20f only three-eighths of an inch and control stem 7 open only fiveturns of the fine threads 14: to about one-third of the bore openings,the nipple has flowed about 500 barrels in 24 hours at 1500 poundspressure. Such a small stream of oil flowing from the drain plugopeningin theside of the master gate valve carries very little sand. Thelittle cutting action that is caused by the sand is directed againstthe.sand impinging plug 2 1. After flowing several'thousand"barrels of oilplug 24 showed some wear and was re I have beenusing my simple,inexpensive placed with a newone at very little expense. N0 appreciablewear could be detected in nipple 1 after flowing 90,000 barrels. Thisproduces a higher gravity'oil.

From this descriptionit will be seenthat I "small stream of oil flowingsteadily conserves the gas, prevents any extra volume of gas formingagainst the master gate valve and have produced an eliicient,inexpensivefadjustable choke which can be installed quickly and easilywithout making any structural changes in the valves or piping, adevicewhich reopuires no change in connections for itsoperation andwhichbecome's a permanent part of the wells equipment withoutinterfering with the normal operation of the other necessary equipment.While I have used forillustration a' definite size of bore it is to beunderstood that other sizes may be made for specific installations.

Having thus described my I claim as new and desire to invention whatsecure by Letters 1. In an adjustable choke nipple, a nipple,

having a central bore, an enlarged section on;

the said nipple having a threaded socket;' 'a packing body'housin'ghaving a central bore for threaded connection in'said socket and havingfine internal threads in the bottom of,

said bore; a control stem in the said housing,"

having an enlarged lower portion with fine external threads spaced fromits lower extremity for co-acting with the internal threads of the saidhousing; a smooth cylindrical terminus on the said stem below the saidexternal threads, the said terminus having a larger diameter than thatof the central bore of said nipple, the said enlarged section of thenipple having a seat for the said terminus below the bore of the saidnipple and in the axis of the said stem; a reduced section on the saidstem provided with a hand wheel; a stufiing box on the said housing forthe control stem, the shoulder formed between the small and largeportions of the stem providing, stop means to limit the upward movementthereof.

2. In a device of the class described, in combination, a choke nipplefor seating in the drain plug hole of a master gate valve and having acentral bore; a control stem of larger diameter than the said bore withits axis in the same plane as that of the bore but at right anglesthereto for adjusting the flow of liquid through the said bore; anenlarged section on the said nipple having a seat for the end of thesaid stem below the said bore; a housing and stuifiing box for the saidstem in threaded connection with the said enlarged section above thesaid bore; means on the said stem for adjustably positioning the lowerend thereof within or across the said bore; a pipe T fitting in threadedconnection with the said nipple; a sand impinging plug seated in said Ton the axis of the said bore and a flow pipe connected to the sideopening of the said T.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature.

JESSE F. MOKAIG.

